From big birthday parties to weddings and more, event planning seems to be a booming business that just keeps getting better. People and business alike will always have events to plan, and who doesn’t like helping make peoples’ dreams come true? Event planning is also an excellent opportunity to introduce a great chance to promote more environmentally friendly events to your area.

Not only is a sustainable event planning business an easy sell to customers everywhere, but it is also easy to accomplish. Here are some ideas to start with for a sustainable event planning business:

* Reusable Linens – Instead of using disposable napkins and throw-away table linens, exclusively offer reusable linens. They are easy to wash and maintain, and they will cut down on an amazing amount of waste.

* Deluxe Dishware – Use only reusable dishes as well. This means everything from flatware, to cups, to plates. Not using disposable dishes can do a lot of good for the environment, and can save you money as well.

* Sustainable Materials – You can use sustainable materials for fabrics, props, flooring, furniture and more. There are many materials, such as bamboo, hemp, and organic cotton that can be used for almost everything you need. These materials are also likely to be of great quality and last longer.

* Recycled Materials – You can make a point to use recycled materials for all of these items as well. This will save you money on top of being environmentally friendly.

* Bring Nature In – There is almost no better setting for an event than the great outdoors. You can throw your events in great outdoor locations, or bring the outdoors in with great nature-inspired decorations.

* Loving Lights – Use environmentally friendly and long-lasting LED lights to brighten up your events. They may cost a little more initially, but they will last longer and light up better than any other option.

* Compostables – When cleaning up during and after an event, make sure to keep your trash, recyclables, and compostable material all separate. You can use, sell, or donate compost to many farms and other organizations to be reused.

* Fresh Fare – When planning an event that involves food, choose local catering that focuses on the use of fresh, local produce. The meals will likely taste better than any other option, and you will be doing the environment and local economy good.

* Conscious Cleaning – After a great party there is always a lot of clean-up. Avoid using harsh chemical cleaners and instead use all-natural and eco-friendly cleaning products exclusively.

* Dedicated Decor – There are a vast number of ways that you can make recycled and natural décor look perfect. You can use leftover wine bottles for vases and lighting projects, potted plants as decoration and favors, and reusable chalkboards for signs and place cards. The ideas are literally endless, and will give your business that touch of creativity that will set you apart.

These are just some of the many ways that you could turn a simple event planning business into a sustainable, Earth-saving business. Even better, with so many reusable and recycled elements, you can cut your overhead down exponentially.

Live events are fabulous content generators. Everything you see, hear, smell and do is ripe for taking as a content idea. It’s important that you take a notebook or other technology that enables you to keep notes of everything. Don’t rely on your memory as you’ll likely be a little overwhelmed during the event. To get your creative juices flowing, here are a few ideas for content ideas that you can generate from shows and events.

* Videos – At live events people are ripe for sharing. Ask people to be interviewed on camera. Try to get the speakers and event leaders as well as guests to answer one question for your video. Then you can combine them as a video and then repurpose them as other types of content, including blog posts, tweets, and even an eBook.

* Audio – Record people’s voices only answering the questions you have so that you can put them on a podcast. You can also use the audio as notes for blog posts, articles and press releases.

* Transcripts – Make transcripts of every video and audio so that you can use it to publish as an eBook, report, white paper, or under the podcast or video as a way to help with website traffic.

* Q & A – When anyone asks a question during the event, that question can now be used as fodder for new content from blog posts to eBooks, regardless of the answers given at the time.

* Testimonials – Get people to give you video testimonials that you can use in support of attending the event next year. This is especially great if you plan to promote the event as an affiliate, or if it’s already your event.

* Stories – Collect stories of people who are attending the event that you can use as information to create more content such as books, blog posts, articles and more.

* Product Reviews – You can do reviews of the event and the speakers, as well as any products that are sold or promoted at the event. These are always great blog posts.

* Live Tweets – During the event you can tweet what is happening via text or images. Later you can use those tweets if you put a telling hashtag with them, to help you remember what happened so you can make even more content.

Keep your eyes and ears open, listen more than you talk, and so many ideas will come to light that you can use for content after the event. Content ideas can come from everywhere – even your hotel room or the side trip to local tourist destinations – as much as they can come from the event itself. But mostly, the ideas you get will come from the people who are at the event. Immerse yourself in the event, take notes, and the ideas will flow naturally.